J is for Jinxed
by tiinaj1
Summary: Don has a rough day.


J is for Jinxed

J is for Jinxed  
**Tiinaj1**

We all know bad luck runs in three's and Don's due for a doozy… poor guy.  
(As you all know none of us have any part in owning numb3rs, we're just boring them for the time being….)

-One-  
The sound of the buzzer finally began to tug at Don's mind and he cracked one eye open and glared at the offending object that wouldn't shut up. Closing his eye again, he groaned and covered his face with an arm and then with the knuckle of his finger and a thumb he rubbed hard at his eyes trying to relieve the dryness. It felt like he'd just gotten home and fallen into bed.

His hand stilled and then he sat up and looked at his alarm clock again. 9:28 am.  
Throwing the covers back, he moved to the window and separating the slats of the blinds he peered out only to be blinded by the sunlight. He threw up a hand to shield his eyes and let the shade fall.

Swearing he turned and grabbed the phone, and then remembered the buzzer that had woken him up. Striding into the living room he looked out the peep hole in the door and then wrenched it open. "Megan?"

Megan turned around and looked at him in surprise. "Don? Are you okay?" She walked toward him eyeing him. "I've been trying to call you for the last two hours. When you didn't call or come into work, we got worried. Are you sick?"

"No, the alarm didn't go off and I guess I was more tired than I realized. Come on in. I'll grab a shower and be ready in 15 minutes." Don left the door open and headed back to his bedroom expecting that Megan would follow him in. Grabbing towels he went into the bathroom, shaved, showered and dressed. When he came back out he found Megan had put a fresh pot of coffee on and had a cup waiting for him along with a plate of eggs and toast.

"Don. You know you're really pushing it. That last case really took it out of all of us and you haven't had any down time since. We're between cases right now and tomorrow's Saturday, why don't you just call in and take the rest of the day off?" Megan finished washing the skillet, rinsed it off and left it to drain. "You have the time and you'd be more alert. You'd have a three day weekend too."

Megan grabbed a cup for herself and turning came toward the table and sat. She eyed Don. "You're not doing anyone a favor coming in this tired. It affects your work, your staff and you're going to end up sick too." Taking another sip, she set it down and stood up. "I'm going to head back to the office, shall I tell Merrick you're not coming in?"

Don rubbed his eyes again and then looked up at her. "Yeah, I guess. I'll give him a call."

-Two-  
After a couple more hours sleep and changing into more comfortable clothes, Don got into the Suburban and slammed the door shut. He needed some groceries or those eggs Megan had made him this morning was all he was going to be eating this weekend. Backing up, he pulled out of the parking lot and onto Aquacate Street. Stopping at a red light, he flipped on a left turn signal and when the light changed he started forward. Suddenly he heard the squeal of tires and looked to his right to see a white, and mostly rusty, Impala coming straight for him. The force of the impact pushed the Suburban across the intersection toward another car and a pedestrian that was starting to cross the street; and only with quick thinking on his part did he manage to avoid hitting the woman.

For a moment he sat there and when he looked at his hands he noticed that they were shaking. He shook his head and then reached forward and turned off the ignition. Opening the door, he got out and carefully stood on the pavement before closing the door slowly. He looked around and noticed several people had stopped and a couple of them were approaching him but he couldn't quite make out what they were saying.

"Hey Man, are you alright? If you hadn't been in that Suburban you probably wouldn't have survived that accident." Don looked at the speaker, noticing that he was waving a hand in front of his face but not really comprehending what he was saying. It seemed like his mouth was opening and closing – but it sounded like he was talking like the adults did in the Peanuts specials. _Mwa, mwa, mwa _– he hadn't a clue what they were saying.

Don shook his head and rubbed his left temple. He was so tired.

A little bit later, he realized he was sitting at one of the tables on the sidewalk. He was outside a small bistro and he noticed that a glass of water had been put in front of him.

"Sir? Would you like us to call an ambulance? Can we call anyone to come get you?" A Police Officer sat next to him and tried to get his attention. "Sir?"

Don looked at her and a name popped into his head. "Yeah, can you call Megan Reeves at the FBI office?" He handed her his cell phone. "Wait, I can call." He took the phone back and flipped it open. "Megan? This is Don. Can you come and get me? I was in an accident on 56th and Derrick. I think the Suburban is totaled."

-Third-  
A couple of hours later, Don walked into his condo and walked into the kitchen and stopped. There was about an inch of water on the floor and more was flooding out from under the sink. He waded through the water and yanked open the door to get a spray of water right in the face. Reaching in he turned off the water and then grabbed up the phone to call a plumber only to find out they wouldn't be able to come for at least a couple of days. Slamming the phone down and sighing he shook his head and reached up to pull at his hair. Grabbing a bucket and then crossing through all the water, he grabbed up every towel he owned to try and get as much of the water before it reached the wood floors in the living room.

An hour later he had managed to get the water off the floor and was lying on his back under the sink. The pipe was lying in several parts around him and he was holding the U shaped piece in his hand. Sitting up he smacked his head on the cabinet and cursing he stood up rubbing his forehead. "Great! Another bruise to add to my collection." He said aloud. He grabbed his phone again, "Dad, can you come over? I had a pipe break under my sink and I was wondering if you want to take a trip to pick up some parts with me?"

He sat on the couch and waited till his Dad came to pick him up and flipped on the TV while he waited. Finally settling on a game, he put his feet up on the coffee table and slouching down further in his seat he leaned his head back. His eyes kept closing and he jerked awake every time a car door would slam outside or the batter hit a ball and the crowd roared. He yawned and his eyes started to close again.

The pounding tugged at his consciousness and he finally woke up and looked around. The game was over on the TV and some idiot was attempting to make predictions of what the upcoming football season would hold. He sat up and turned his head when the pounding on the door started again.

"Donnie!"

_Dad? What's he doing here?_ "Just a minute!" Slowly he stood up and for a moment he wasn't sure he was going to stay on his feet. Weaving slightly he went to the door and swung it open just as Alan reached up to pound on the door again. "Dad? What are you doing here?" He rubbed his left temple. _Man, would this headache never go away?_

"Donnie? Are you okay?" Alan put a hand on Don's arm and steered him into the living room. "You called. Asked me to come over and take you to get the part for your sink. Remember?" Turning on the lamp next to the couch, he reached out a hand and tipped Don's head into the light. "What happened to you?"

"God Dad, it's been an awful day! I overslept and didn't wake up until Megan started ringing my doorbell, ended up calling in and taking the day off, went to get some groceries and got hit by some old lady in an old rustheap of a car. I got hit on the head in the accident. Megan came and picked me up and I borrowed her car to get groceries and when I got home I had a ton of water on the floor in the kitchen and hit my head again just before I called you. I totally forgot I called you and fell asleep while I was waiting."

While Don was talking, Alan watched Don and couldn't help noticing the lines of fatigue in his face. There wasn't a sign of the twinkle or the intensity that was usually in his eyes. No sign of animation on his face when he was talking or thinking. He was exhausted.

Alan shook his head, "It sounds like your overtired and need to rest. I've got dinner cooking at home. Why don't you come home for dinner and tomorrow we can come back and get the part and fix your sink."

Don nodded his head. While he was talking he had rested his head on the back of the couch and had slouched down again. His Dad was sitting on the coffee table in front of him so he couldn't put his feet up again but that didn't matter. He was too tired to move. His eyes started closing, and try as he might he couldn't get them to stay open.

Alan finally stood up and putting his hands on Don's shoulders he shifted him until he was lying down. Putting his feet up on the couch he grabbed the afghan from the back and spread it over Don. He turned toward the kitchen to check the sink and made a list of parts he needed to get and then grabbing Don's keys, he left the condo and drove over to the hardware store to get the parts and when he returned he called home.

"Charlie? I'm over at Don's fixing his kitchen sink and I was wondering if you could check on the roast in the oven for me and take it out? In fact, why don't you wrap it up and bring it over here? I don't think Don's going anywhere for a while."

The End


End file.
